


Lay Me Down

by iam93percentstardust



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Injury Recovery, M/M, Referenced PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:33:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29084700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iam93percentstardust/pseuds/iam93percentstardust
Summary: He knows sometimes that when Sam looks at him, he sees Riley there instead. He knows that Sam thinks he’s too reckless sometimes, that he doesn’t listen to orders, and it reminds him of that last mission when he had told Riley not to fly into that airspace. He knows that when Sam looks at him like he does right now, with glazed eyes and worried expression, he’s not seeing Tony at all. He’s seeing someone who didn’t much look like him but he talked like him and he acted like him. And Tony knows better than most how terrible triggers can be.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Sam Wilson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 56





	Lay Me Down

Most of the team is out of the tower, except for Tony, who suffered three cracked ribs on their last mission and is therefore benched until they’re healed, and Sam, who refuses to give up his day job despite Tony telling him he’s happy to pay for his expenses.

It’s one of the hottest days of the year and even the best A/C Tony can buy isn’t enough to keep up with global warming. Not for the first time, he regrets insisting on floor-to-ceiling windows in the tower. Maybe with smaller windows, it might have been at least a little cooler in the tower instead of this miserable heat.

“You know,” Sam says when he walks into the penthouse to find Tony, wearing only a pair of silk boxers, stretched out on the wooden floors, the lights off and the fan running at its highest speed, “if you hadn’t built the entire damn tower out of glass, we might not have had this problem.”

Tony lazily blinks one eye open and glares at him half-heartedly. “Oh no, if only someone had told me that _before_ I built this monstrosity of glass and steel.”

Sam chuckles. “Is that what Steve is calling it these days?”

“He mentioned it to Clint before they left this morning,” Tony admits grudgingly. He’s still irritated that three years after moving in, Steve still isn’t happy with how the tower looks.

“You know, I seem to recall me telling you the tower’s design was going to call something else to mind when people saw it,” Sam tells him. Tony can’t see him anymore but he can hear him moving around the room. There’s the soft whisper of clothes hitting the floor and he smiles to himself. Sam might think that what he’s doing is silly but he’s going to join him anyway.

“How are your ribs?” Sam asks, laying down next to him.

“A little sore,” he admits, turning onto his side so he can take in Sam, glistening a little with sweat from the heat and wearing only those Iron Man briefs Tony got him as a gag gift for Christmas last year. “Could be worse.”

“Could be better too,” Sam points out disapprovingly. Tony thinks about the ill-advised training session he’d tried to hold with Tasha this morning. They had both thought that he was fully recovered but one well-placed kick to his chest had disabused them of that notion. At least, she’d been kind enough to help him wrap them again.

“We thought it was fine,” he argues.

“You always think it’s fine. You always push too fast.” Sam rolls onto his side now too, bringing his hand up to cup Tony’s cheek. “I’m worried you’re gonna hurt yourself more.”

It’s a little too hot for this but Tony wants to be as close to Sam as he can so he slides his hand down Sam’s side, down to his leg and pulls it up and over his hip, settling into the open space. They’re pressed against each other now, so close that it’s easy for Tony to tip his forehead against Sam’s.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he promises. “I’m right here with you.”

He knows sometimes that when Sam looks at him, he sees Riley there instead. He knows that Sam thinks he’s too reckless sometimes, that he doesn’t listen to orders, and it reminds him of that last mission when he had told Riley not to fly into that airspace. He knows that when Sam looks at him like he does right now, with glazed eyes and worried expression, he’s not seeing Tony at all. He’s seeing someone who didn’t much look like him but he talked like him and he acted like him. And Tony knows better than most how terrible triggers can be.

“Sam,” he says quietly and carefully kisses him, not wanting to startle him too badly. “I’m right here.”

It takes Sam a moment to realize where he is and who he’s with and once he does, his nose wrinkles. “Tony, babe, it’s too hot for you to be this close.”

Tony laughs. “There you are.” He moves away, flopping back onto his back. It pulls at his cracked ribs a little and he winces.

“Promise me, you’ll be more careful next time,” Sam says. He threads his fingers through Tony’s, lifting their joined hands up to his lips.

Tony doesn’t say anything. He can’t promise that and Sam knows it but fortunately, he doesn’t press the question. Tony loves that about him, loves that Sam knows and accepts that he can’t— _won’t_ —be careful when someone else’s life is on the line. He shuffles closer again, laying his head against Sam’s shoulder. Sam doesn’t ask him to move this time; his other hand reaches up to Tony’s hair, gently carding his fingers through the strands. In quiet, peaceful and soft, they lay there, watching the ceiling fan go around and around in circles.


End file.
